It makes perfect sense that Teacher Appreciation Day falls in May, tucked up against the end of the school year. At this point in the academic cycle, teachers have had to switch to a stronger deodorant and download meditation apps. A Starbucks gift card from a thankful student could stave off going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs long enough to reach summer break.

The teachers need appreciation! Imagine, then, being a Florida educator and seeing the latest news regarding your profession, nay, your calling:

Per an April report from the National Education Association, Florida has dropped to 50th in the country when it comes to average teacher pay. We managed to sink even lower from 48th place last year. Hey, we’re not the biggest loser, though. With Washington D.C. in the mix, we’re… second-to-last, just ahead of West Virginia. Yay?

This ranking is akin to finishing a 5K while race organizers are packing up the orange cones. It is the dreaded participation trophy of salaries, the E for effort of compensation, the “bless their hearts” of earnings.

Our place on the spectrum of teacher pay is humiliating and depressingly on-brand for Florida, where state leaders have spent the last few years trying to win Best Laughingstock. Between the tango of book banning, the creepy fixation on sexuality and gender and the Dickensian salaries, it is simply unsurprising that Florida teachers are leaving the job in large numbers or that some college students who once hoped to teach are changing their minds.

Let’s look at dollar signs. The national average for teacher pay is $69,544, according to the report, which reflects the fact that teachers are paid inadequately across the country. Florida’s average is $53,098, sad trombone. The state fares better when it comes to average starting salaries, placing 16th at $47,178. But it’s clear salaries aren’t keeping pace with career growth and inflation.

Now, cover your eyes with scratch-off lottery tickets and homemade lemon bars: Both figures fall below Florida’s livable wage of $58,970 for one adult and one child. That’s per the Economic Policy Institute, but it’ll ring true for anyone who has dropped a cool hundred on a few bags of routine groceries at Publix. We’re not even talking anything exciting like chili crisp or bakery cheesecake.

For its part, the Florida Department of Education has pooh-poohed the findings, calling the report “bogus,” casting doubt on the validity of the figures and deriding teachers unions as the problem. The state has given more than $4 billion in raises for teachers since Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, it said, resulting in a starting pay bump of $8,000. The Florida Education Association is asking for more, though. It wants lawmakers to boost funding $2.5 billion a year for 7 years to make up the slack.

Locally, property taxes patch in salary gaps, field trips, facility upkeep and more. Voters in Hillsborough and Hernando will have a chance in November to throw relief in the direction of teachers. In Pinellas, a similar referendum will head to the ballot, renewing and expanding an existing tax teachers have relied on for years. Yes, many people are struggling and no, no one likes a tax. But the public funding of public education is part of this American deal, and we owe it to teachers and ourselves.

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Sending mugs of Dove chocolates to class is sweet and may be the difference between heavy metal and soothing ocean sounds on the drive home. But passing taxes, supporting unions and decrying the denial and slippery behavior of state leaders means more. Dispensing with the harmfully adorable archetype of long-suffering, overworked teachers lauded for buying their own supplies and working two jobs means more. Being serious in supporting the pros who devote their wisdom, energy and considerable talents to molding the next generation will always mean more. Please appreciate that.

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